The Inaugural Weyr Council

When no one had anything to say, Sidran nodded her head once, sharply, and continued, "Also confirmed in their positions are Weyrsinger T'kal and CandidateMaster Brielody. As you may imagine, there will be quite a bit of need for the both of you before long."

T'kal, especially, to the holds, though that was more Br'son's field than hers. As, she had agreed, were the whers.

And so she sat again, indicating she was done for the moment, so they could continue.

Br'son nodded his thanks at his Weyrleader, and turned his gaze back to the assembled company. "Now," he said. "In addition, you will note thta we have some of our more nocturnal denizens joining us. For those who haven't made their acquaintance yet, I'd like to introduce. Wherleader Dividia, handler to Brown Divisk, Queen Handler Tahlana of Tahlansk, Queen Handler Rhaenthwor of Rhaensk and Bronze handler Kane of Kanesk. They, along with Wherlingmaster Alden of Aldisk make up the leadership of our small, but growing, wher cadre." Br'son announced.

"It should go without saying, but I will articulate it anyway, so that you may each take the message directly to your subordinates and friends. As Wherleader, Dividia is the equal of Weyrleader Sidran in rank and authority. Likewise, our Queen handlers have as much of a voice as Weyrsenior Second E'zen or Queenrider Teagan. As neither of the queen whers has yet run to mate," Br'son cut his eyes briefly at Alden, sitting next to Dividia, to see if he had the terminology right. The grizzled old green handler nodded briefly, and Br'son went on. "There is, as of yet, no senior queen wher. When she emerges, however, I expect that her authority over the whers will be equal to that of Yllaveth over the dragons."

"My point," he said, looking around the room with a slight smile, "Is as it has always been. We must be a team if we're to survive this. Now more than ever. So, as our wher cadre grows, we will begin to integrate them into our operations on a daily... or nightly, as the case may be... basis. That being said, Stillmaster Avidian, as the non-riding head of our weyrfolk, we understand that you have first claim on the wher cadre, in order to continue your... activities on behalf of us all."

Avidian didn't move, merely quirked a smile at Br'son's diplomatic phrasing. The boy was good, he'd give him that.

Br'son paused for a moment, in case the Stillmaster decided to speak. When he did not, Br'son took a deep breath and plunged on.

"There. Now that we all know who is whom, let us lay out some expectations. I am certain that you have all heard the horrific rumors. Eastern is not the only Weyr affected by this dreadful plague. We've recently welcomed a former Weyrleader of one of the northern Weyrs to our home. He is not here at the moment, due to medical needs, though I rather hope he'll join us in future councils." In this case, "medical needs" meant "still sleeping off the effects of enough alcohol to knock a man senseless during a mating flight". Not that Br'son could blame the man. He'd lost his dragon. How he'd even survived this much was a mystery to the young Weyrsenior.

"The problem is simply this: it appears that ALL of the Weyrs on Pern are dying. Not a single golden queen has risen to mate since the plague, and most of the golden queens have already succumbed. Those who remain are, without exception, sick. This is a pandemic of global proportions, ladies and gentlemen, and it appears that we may be the last bastion of dragonkind... and we have barely three wings of dragons, and five more turns in the Pass."

He fell silent, to let that sink in for a moment, and then gestured to Sidran again. "Weyrleader, perhaps you would like to outline for the wingleaders your expectations and plans as we start to fight Thread?"

"We fly," she replied, corner of her mouth lifting in a wry near-smile. "Though only where we are most needed." Thankfully the Falls were more and more well-spaced, as the Pass began its winding down, though that was the only thing working in their favor.

She rolled out a map - larger than any they'd brought from Eastern, and so clearly acquired thanks to their canyon-mates - and pointed out key areas as she spoke. "Tarza is the first Hold to offer us tithe in return for consistent Fall protection, and they, along with the area around our canyon, are our priority. If there are business partners," that for Avidian and Dividia, whom she looked to briefly, "with compelling trade, we can consider there. It is likely we will have more Hold allies before long, and so we will prioritize the farmland from there. We have known the lands around Eastern are minimally protected with the smaller, less sick dragons that are left, and unfortunately there are not enough of us left to bolster that by much at all. I know there will be protests, but protests, as we all know, won't suddenly create more of us. I balanced the wings as best as possible in terms of experience and stamina, and Weyrlingmaster we will need your low-level support as soon as the weyrlings are able. As for tactics, there is little to invent. Each of the Wingleaders was chosen as they know their business, and we will have a meeting after this one to discuss practice."

*
Dividia tucked away her amusement where no one would see, though it did snag a bit of Divisk's attention away from wrecking anything in reach. Wherleader. As though anyone but her father could have given her an order before the title - still, she noted the acknowledgment. That, and the fact that E'zen met the eyes of both queenrider wher handlers but no hers, combined for enough of a warm reaction that Divisk was actually on the verge of going back to sleep. Good enough for her.

The room was covered in a sudden hush. It was fears realized, Casriel knew to be true. She had a mind for this and had long kept personal records of the dragons bred and living. Not a hair on her head slid out of place but inside, a part of her reeled.

'We're the last.' she thought. She cleared her thought and met Sidran's eyes before to step forward to speak.

"We need a Watch rider at Tarza and any other territory we protect. We need to know what is going on and have our own eyes on the ground, Weyrleader." Casriel said keenly.

Ashrah raised her chin and took a step forward.

"With the Shadows and Smokes growing so fast, I can graduate E'zen, Asteriel and Revel at twelve turns old at the earliest. I want to hold the others until fifteen months at the bare minimum. We don't wipe out our young and I won't approve a weyrling rider for Thread Fall under the age of fifteen in addition to having a fifteen month old dragon. Now that Aliseth, Eniseth, Sanovith and Emanoth are all flying, I must teach them to Between. I do not need to tell you all, ladies and gentlemen, how dangerous that can be. With the addition of Candidate Master Brielody to the Barracks, I have also seen a need for us each to have a Second. I will be interviewing for two an assistant weyrling master and Candidate Master Brielody is welcome to select her own  assistant candidate master." Ashrah turned to look at the green rider.

"I know you'll have a good idea of who you need."

As the council got around to acknowledging the Wher Handlers, he felt a swell of pride grow within him. Rhaensk would be happy to know she was being considered as a ranking member of the canyon. Not that she needed any help in thinking she should be in charge. Rhaenthwor though had not given any thought to being Whersenior. Now however, knowing that he was in direct competition for that position with Tahlana he wondered it it was a position he truly wanted. Now wasn't the time to delve into such thoughts, so he nodded his acknowledgment and listened.

He was looking forward to when the Whers were done with training. Then he would feel more useful. Rhaensk was ready to do things too. She enjoyed lessons so far though and he had to think they were learning well as a group. With nothing to compare their training to, he could only assume.

They were a quiet group, the cave dwellers, allowing for the most part the conversation to be focused on the dragonriders and their dragons.

Thread was a topic they all had concerns about. As the death of the dragons was gone over in more depth. He wondered how Pern would survive the rest of this Pass. At least it seemed they had a plan.

---

Brielody was looking at the other people in the room. Gauging their reactions to what was being said. Thus far most people were keeping their thoughts to themselves. At beng confirmed publicly as Candidate Master she smiled politely.

Yes, with Aliseth's rising, there would be a Clutch on the Sands soon. No one knew for certain how soon it would be. Even so, she would be busy until then and possible even after that because who knew when Eniseth would rise? And then Yllvaeth would be rising again before they knew it. She would be very busy.

The greenrider was not shocked by the news of the deaths. She wondered for a brief moment how anyone could survive the loss of their dragon without losing their mind in the process. The man must be a very strong person indeed to have traveled to the only place on Pern with living dragons after losing his.

Agreeing with the plan, although it was hardly her place to have an opinion. She thought it was better to reward those who offered to help the first. They would need more than the smuggler's shipments in the coming Turns. Having Holds tithing would be much more reasonable to sustain the population a Weyr needed to successfully fight Thread.

"Yes. Thank you Weyrling Master Ashrah." Brielody knew she would need someone who was responsible but also someone who she could get along with well enough. She didn't necessarily have a specific person in mind though. Maybe people would start coming up to her about it. She'd rather choose from a smaller pool of people anyway.

"We don't have them to spare, Wingleader," Sidran replied, simple truth. "Though perhaps we could round up some of the remaining sick dragons yet well enough to make a trip and get them to key locations. Otherwise, I ask that you consider your Victory's clutch as a key piece of our communication. In the meantime, we will need to make do with the assets available to us through our allies." Not for the first time, the cobaltrider wished her former classmate weren't so often combative - she hadn't had the idea to try and assign ailing but living dragons until the other woman had spoken. If only she could trust the blonde rider with her confidences.

"And of course, Weyrlingmaster, I wouldn't ask you to risk your charges. We need them, and also are at pains to wait, as we can't dispatch many to ferry stone to the wings. The sooner they are ready for the weyrling wing responsibilities, the better for all." Good news that the smokes and shadows may be ready to graduate early, though she wondered how often Aliseth would be grounded with clutches. Which they also needed, bloody sharding pissbucket luck of it all.

Alden looked around himself, then slowly got to his feet. Not much in this world intimidated him, but this company might just do the trick. Still, though, he knew his business and he had knowledge that might help, and so. "Stillmaster, Wherleader, Weyrleader, Weyrsenior," he said, looking at each of these worthies in turn. "It might be that your whers can help. I've trained Hold watchwhers before, not often, mind, but I've done it. It's a bit different, but t'isn't hard. If we can't spare a dragon, mayhap in a Turn or two, we could send Tarza Hold a watchwher? Could teach 'em to be useful during Fall, too, as part of a ground crew. Wher'll take a burrow, same's a lizard," he said, gesturing to Victory's gold loveliness where she sat on Casriel's shoulder. "An' they don't say much, but whers'll communicate when needed."

Say what needed. No more. Faster. Better that way. Aldisk put in, sending her sleepy message to the dragons and whers of those present. A grin broke over Alden's face as the the rough touch reverberated through the room and made his point better than he ever could.

***

Br'son nodded at the green wherhandler and gave him a smile. "Excellent suggestion, Wherlingmaster," he said. "And one to which we'll give some thought, though we've some time yet before Rhaensk and Tahlansk are able to give us eggs. And, much will depend on the Stillmaster's needs," he added with a nod toward Avidian.

Avidian merely smiled.

"What other thoughts does anyone have? Firene used to always say that there are no bad ideas in brainstorming. I think that this is what we're doing here, a storm of thoughts. Anything else?" Br'son went on.

Jah'vi was scruffy, but clean. He tried very hard to keep his face neutral when Sidrian made her announcement; she had spoken to him before this, of course. And her reasoning was sound. He couldn't argue with a bit of it. Eastern's riders needed to feel a part of the council, and as the most senior rider left he was really the only choice.

But that didn't mean he had to like it. He'd been happy as a Wingsecond, and barely had time to catch his breath since the sudden promotion to Wingleader, then defacto Weyrleader, then the leader of the survivors from Eastern. Nolinth constantly reminded him this was their duty, and had more than once dryly remarked his rider just didn't want to do the work.

Maybe the old Jah'vi, he thought, sighing just audibly. But this Jah'vi just wanted to catch his breath. To take a break from all the death around him. "Thank you, Weyrleader and Weyrsenior," he murmured, hoping that he was up for the task ahead of him.

Teagan had never felt so out of place in her entire life. Ensieth was wide awake and very present in the back of her mind, her disagreement almost a taste in her riders throat. By far the youngest and smallest, her feet dangled far above the ground from her chair. Glancing around at the others, she felt like a small child who had wandered into something she had no right to be in.

Ensieth responded, almost a snap.

Feeling chastised, Teagan turned her attention back to Br'son and the others. She hadn't fully understood why Ensieth and she had been hustled away so quickly the day before, but now it was embarrassingly obvious.

She was too young.

Anger flared up in her, though from Ensieth or her she wasn't sure. Everyone else was capable of doing something, of helping in some way, but she was limited by her maturity. Though no one was even glancing at her, she could just feel the judgement; a breeding queen bonded to an immature child. Her face flushed, she tried to keep it hidden and hoped the end of the meeting would come soon so she could go throw rocks into the lake as hard as she possibly could.

Br'son looked around the room, but no further discussion seemed to be forthcoming.  

"Well," he said after a moment.  "Fair enough.  We've much to think on.  I believe we may safely call this council closed.  I would like for the queenriders to remain, please.  Everyone else is dismissed, with my thanks."

Jah'vi didn't linger, bowing to Br'son and the two shadow riders on his way out. The girl seemed like she'd just been sentenced to death, so he gave her a reassuring little smile.

The smile didn't do a thing to reassure Teagan. She'd been left with a chair further away from the other two, and she felt extremely conspicuous climbing out of her current seat and moving closer. Once again, she blushed furiously as she scrambled into a chair made for someone much larger than her.

Sitting next to Br'son and E'zan made her feel even more childish. She clasped her hands in her lap, crossed her feet at the ankles to prevent as much dangling as possible, and did her best to look like them, like adults.

"You too, please, Weyrleader," Br'son added as people started to rise and leave. "This concerns one of your riders, so I'd like your opinion, please."

He turned and focused on the youngest queenrider. "Teagan," he said. "How did you enjoy your between lesson the other day? I'm sorry it was so rushed, but we had a rather compelling reason to get you and Eniseth out of the Weyr now." He said with a grin.

Now that question, THAT made Teagan grin like her usual self. "It was incredible," she replied, eyes going a little glassy at the memory. "I thought I would be scared, but even though I couldn't feel her, I could... feel Ensieth." It was hard to explain, but if anyone would understand it would be another rider, she thought.

"Are we going to practice more betweening now that Ensieth and I have done it?" she continued, eagerly latching onto this idea. She'd always dreamed of seeing all the major Holds and Halls she'd heard so much of, and going between was something she could offer the Weyr. Maybe delivering messages, or... something.

"Yes, certainly. Both you and E'zen will be doing quite a bit of practice here soon, so that you may get used to the coordinates around Pern. But always with an escort, all right? We can talk more about that in a minute."

The Weyrsenior glanced up at his Weyrleader before continuing. "But there's something else I want to talk to you about. I'm certain you've heard that Aliseth banished the traditionally colored males from her flight? Well, I won't tell a queen who may and may not chase her, but I won't pretend that this may present a problem, especially if Aliseth continues in this prejudice for her whole career as a laying queen. So, my question for you is this: do you think that Eniseth would have the same prohibition, when her time comes? I realize that I'm asking you to guess... but what do you think?"

The grin on Teagan's face spread with the confirmation that she would get to see the rest of their planet. Not bad for a holdless orphan, she thought with more than a little bit of pride.

But the mention of the mating flight made that grin fade. "Yes, I heard," she answered, looking back down at her hands. She furrowed her brow and put forth the idea to Ensieth, a wordless question. She received a response of mixed feelings, along with a reminder that she didn't need to worry about that for a while.

"Yes I do!" she shouted aloud, her frustration overflowing finally along with a few tears. Ashamed, she turned away from the others and quickly rubbed the tears from her eyes. "She won't give me a straight answer," she said after an awkward silence. "She just keeps telling me I don't have to worry about it yet."

Ensieth sent a pulse of love and support to her rider, and maybe even an apology for the vagueness.

A rush of relief surged through Br'son. "I know it's frustrating," he said, "but that is a very good thing, Teagan. Ask E'zen, a mating flight is a very intense experience. It's not what you want to hear, but it's the truth. No one wants your first experience with sex to be your dragon's mating flight. No one deserves that." He gave her a smile and resisted the urge to ruffle her white-blonde hair. Teagan may have been young, but she was a queenrider, and he would see that she was treated as such. Starting with him.

"However, this may give us another opportunity. Do you know the Weyrlingmaster's son, Bronzerider Z'ash?"

Teagan tried her best not to make a face at the Weyrsenior, so annoyed. They needed Ensieth in the air, laying eggs, and adding to the dragon population. Not handicapped because she had picked the wrong rider.

I did NOT pick the wrong rider. And you are to straighten up and behave, You are a queenrider, no matter what your age, and you must act like it. Not like a child.

Ensieth had never spoken to her so sternly, practically berating her. She pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and sat up straight. Ensieth was right. Even if she was only 12, she was a queenrider, and she had to act as such.

"I've met Z'ash a few times," she answered, thinking of the young bronzerider. Ashrah had of course introduced him; he understood the struggles of being the youngest in the class. "We've spoken some, he's very nice. But I make sure I'm spending my time on my lessons," she added hastily, not wanting the Weyrsenior and Weyrleader to think she was shirking her duties.

Br'son nodded. "Good," he said. "Teagan, we know that the emotions and prejudices of the rider play a part in the dragon's choice. How much of a part depends on the pair, and there's really no way to predict it. But," he said with a smile, "that doesn't mean we can't hedge our bets a little bit. I would like for you and Z'ash to get to know one another, if you'd be willing. Spend some time together. Ideally, you'll become friends. My hope is that if you and Z'ash have an established relationship, even if it's not a romantic one, that when the time comes for Eniseth to rise, she will be amenable to Manticath chasing her... and possibly some of the other traditionally colored males as well."

He drew in a deep breath. "You see," he said softly. "Yllaveth was sired by a bronze. As was her dam, Parazeth. If the golds are truly gone," Br'son paused as his voice broke just a little bit with emotion. Then he swallowed hard and forged on. "If they're gone, then only the Titans are left. Ca... I've heard a theory," he went on, cutting his eyes up to Sidran momentarily, and then back down to look at Teagan. "That only bronzes can sire Titan queens, just as only bronzes could sire a gold. If this is the case, then... well. As I said. We shall hedge our bets."

Sidran gave him the very faintest of smiles - he could talk about Casriel, certainly - and gave no indication of how she disagreed. Small sample size proved nothing, and she imagined the other cobaltrider would hardly ground Maraxith during Yllaveth's next flight, so she doubted how seriously the other woman believed it.

Still, that had nothing to do with Br'son's point, which was valid, and if Eniseth would allow the older colors, that was certainly a win.

*
E'zen told himself there was no need to get defensive or squirm - Aliseth chose as she saw fit, and he had no reason to argue. He'd heard some of the shite those Easterners had blathered, and their exiling of the ones they came begging to did nothing to recommend them. What did they expect, in return?

Realizing Aliseth's thoughts had wound through his, he shook his head slightly and focused on what was going on in front of him.

Teagan nodded and stifled a sigh, still frustrated despite Br'sons words. She could foster all the good will between Ensieth and the traditional colors she wanted, but it didn't help the situation now.

I wish we could just... make me older, she lamented to the shadow. Of course she understood how violent mating flights could become... she'd seen her fair share of them before Aliseth had risen, after all. And the thought of being caught up in that was scary.

Many of the canyon dweller girls had their first experiences when they weren't that much older than her, she thought. Before the dragons arrived she'd been old enough to blush and giggle when the word went around that someone had spent their first evening with a boy.

Not all of them had been great, to hear some of the girls tell the story afterwards. Some of the canyon dwellers could be less than gentle. But the weyrbred boys were different... they had manners and were so respectful. Many of those same young women were now happily staying with a rider, after all.

Maybe that's what Br'son meant. She kept herself from blushing with all her might, suddenly very shy and unsure of spending more time with Z'ash. If that was the plan, though, she had to do what the Weyr needed.

It was all a confusing mess in her head, and she promised to think it out more clearly when she'd had sleep.

Br'son returned her nod and smiled. "Excellent. Thanks, Teags," he said. "Unless you and E'zen have questions, then, or anything else to add, you guys are free to go as well."